A Presentation from Juliet Grames, Author of THE SEVEN OR EIGHT DEATHS OF STELLA FORTUNA

Juliet Grames—Associate Publisher at Soho Press—has written a stunning debut novel, The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna, about a young woman telling the story behind two elderly sisters’ estrangement, unraveling family secrets stretching back a century and across the Atlantic to early twentieth-century Italy.

For Stella Fortuna, death has always been a part of life. Stella’s childhood is full of strange, life-threatening incidents—moments when ordinary situations like cooking eggplant or feeding the pigs inexplicably take lethal turns. Even Stella’s own mother is convinced that her daughter is cursed or haunted.

In present-day Connecticut, one family member tells this heartrending story, determined to understand the persisting rift between the elderly Stella and her sister, Tina. A richly told debut, The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna is a tale of family transgressions as ancient and twisted as the olive branch that could heal them.

The Library Love Fest team recently hosted an event featuring Juliet Grames, who talked about the inspiration behind her novel—the yearning to preserve the memory of her grandmother.

Be sure to watch Juliet's presentation below and check out The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna, out on May 7, 2019!

-Lainey